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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1871 | 2 |
| 1876 | 7 |
| 1877 | 6 |
| 1880 | 2 |
| 1882 | 1 |
| 1883 | 5 |
| 1884 | 1 |
| 1885 | 12 |
| 1887 | 3 |
| 1888 | 2 |
| 1889 | 34 |
| 1890 | 2 |
| 1891 | 7 |
| 1892 | 23 |
| 1893 | 18 |
| 1894 | 9 |
| 1895 | 3 |
| 1897 | 2 |
| 1898 | 5 |
| 1899 | 3 |
| 1900 | 3 |
| 1903 | 9 |
| 1904 | 8 |
| 1905 | 1 |
| 1908 | 3 |
| 1910 | 2 |
| 1914 | 4 |
| 1915 | 1 |
| 1916 | 7 |
| 1917 | 1 |
| 1918 | 1 |
| 1924 | 1 |
188 stories matching devast
- The City’s Rare Nursery Devastated by Record Snow
A brutal winter storm destroys a world-class botanical collection in Seattle, marking a significant loss for regional horticulture.
- The Strange Disappearance of Nellie Holgate
A young Seattle woman reported missing for weeks is found alive in South Dakota, sparking a bizarre mystery involving insurance scammers and a grieving father.
- The Roslyn Mine Disaster: A City Rallies for the Bereaved
When an explosion ripped through the Roslyn coal mines in May 1892, Seattle’s civic leaders mobilized an immediate relief effort for the families left behind.
- The Struggle for Seattle's Water System
City leaders push for public control of the water works following a devastating fire and urban expansion.
- Sensationalism Pursues a Former New York Educator
A cruel smear campaign against a Seattle man proves the devastating power of yellow journalism in the young state of Washington.
- Seattle's Great Fire Forced a Church Building Boom
Following the devastating fire, Seattle's religious congregations are rushing to rebuild their houses of worship in stone and brick.
- The 'Young Giant' of the Northwest
A booster-era dispatch from 1891 paints a portrait of Seattle as a resource-rich boomtown clawing its way back to prosperity following a devastating fire.
- Spokane’s Ashes Hold a Lesson for Yakima
After a massive fire devastated Spokane, the Herald argues that wide streets and low-rise architecture are the only true defense against the region's high winds.
- The Collapse of a 'Rotten' Bank
A post-mortem of a defunct banking institution reveals a web of insider lending, conflicts of interest, and empty promises that devastated local depositors.
- A Woman Kidnapped from Her Home
A Chinese immigrant couple is torn apart as conspirators use a bogus larceny charge and a U.S. Marshal to traffic a woman into potential enslavement.
- Railroad Agent Disputes Spokane Fire Loss Estimates
A freight agent reports on the aftermath of the devastating Spokane fire, highlighting the community's resilience in the face of immense loss.
- The Price of Growth in Early Snohomish
While town elites built elegant homes and secured university futures for their sons, a diphtheria outbreak devastated the river settlements, revealing the stark human cost of frontier expansion.
- The City That Wouldn't Stop Building
Fresh from the ashes of the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, the city defied expectations of a cooldown, pouring over $10 million into a massive 1890 construction boom.
- The City in Ashes
After a devastating fire leaves Ellensburgh in ruins, North Yakima reflects on the fragile nature of boomtown prosperity.
- The Tragedy of Tommy Lake
A young boy drowns in the tide-swept mudflats of Ballard, marking a devastating loss for a local family.
- The River’s Toll on the Timber Trade
A sudden freshet on the White River washes away over 150,000 feet of logs, devastating local lumber operators and scattering timber as far as Smith’s Cove.
- The Grass Belongs to Klickitat
A new Washington sheep quarantine law promised to shut out 75,000 Oregon sheep — and local stockmen said the range was theirs, not the neighbors'.
- Hog Cholera Outbreak in Snohomish County Sparks Call for State Action
A Pullman farmer warns that hog cholera has appeared in Snohomish County and urges the legislature to fund measures to contain the disease before it devastates Washington's livestock industry.
- After the Great Fire: Seattle Rebuilds from Ashes
Following the devastating 1889 fire that leveled the city’s business district, residents and business owners scramble to reorganize amidst the ruins of the downtown core.
- Tragedy in a Marysville Home
A household is devastated as a stovepipe fire claims the lives of two young sisters, leaving their father fatally injured while he attempted a rescue.
- The Meteorology of the Woods
An 1880 meteorologist argues that deforestation is responsible for the drying of rivers and the loss of rainfall, a warning from the early days of Washington Territory.
- The Horror on Fifth Street: A Seattle Tragedy in 1877
A prominent local businessman, once a logger and grocer, descended into a violent, drug-fueled psychotic break that devastated his family and left the community reeling.
- The Midnight Blaze That Leveled Seattle’s Largest Sawmill
A devastating fire at the Stetson & Post mill in 1885 left 40 men unemployed and destroyed a vital industrial hub, all while a night watchman pointed fingers at a scapegoated worker.
- After the Great Fire of 1889: Rebuilding a City from the Ashes
While Seattle recovers from a devastating conflagration, a citywide debate pits public safety and urban planning against private interests over the future layout of the business district.
- The Great Reclamation: How the Feds Are Remaking the West
A rare, detailed look at the massive engineering projects intended to turn arid public lands into thousands of small, self-sustaining family farms.